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Integrating engineering management technology into a model for the effective management of an engineering of an engineering education project

  • Authors: Robinson, Gavin Stuart
  • Date: 2012-06-05
  • Subjects: Engineering - Management , System theory , Project management
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:2442 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/4900
  • Description: M. Ing. , In this modern era, times and technology are changing at an ever increasing rate. Along with these changes, various challenges are presented for the future of engineering in South Africa. Moreover, ways and means of innovatively supplying in the need for future scholars in engineering and science is crucial for the economic stability of South Africa. This dissertation examines a model for the effective management of a Mathematics Advancement Programme, utilising engineering management technology, for a community engagement project to innovatively create future engineering scholars for tertiary education institutions. Application of project management and control systems theory, while including some leadership concepts, is made in the operational structure of a Maths Advancement Programme. Control systems theory has been applied to project management in order to create a sustainable method of monitoring feedback in a triangulation sampling system. The combination of non-probability sampling and purpose sampling systems forms the basis of the triangulation system. Evidence is presented regarding the findings on how effective the training of facilitators, in terms of leadership, was in comparison to other similar projects. Engineering Management Technology was used to practically run a community education project, this process clearly helped to establish improved results in mathematics and a renewed interest in engineering and science. It is also suggested that Control Systems related to project management and decision making should be researched further; in order to obtain greater benefits from the collaboration of these two areas of knowledge.
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Project management in the small engineering business

  • Authors: Legg, Tyrone Anthony
  • Date: 2012-07-31
  • Subjects: Project management , Engineering - Management , Quality control
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:8869 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5336
  • Description: M.Ing. , Many small emerging engineering companies, in especially South Africa, employ only a single engineer (this is mainly due to the shortages of qualified engineering staff). The engineers in many small engineering companies find themselves in the situation where they are responsible for many areas and fields, from design, management and in some cases finances too. This leaves very little time to plan projects with the detailed attention that each and every project requires no matter how small or large. It was the famous and true words of Harvey MacKay, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”, that if any project is undertaken without planning is going to fail on some level. It is undertaken, in this dissertation, to investigate the classical project management process and to ascertain the possibility of simplifying this process so that engineers in small engineering companies have an effective project management process that is economically feasible and will fit into already tight project time lines. A survey was conducted in order to get a good understanding of how project management is viewed in small engineering companies. The results of the survey support the theory that project management in small engineering companies is sadly lacking, and is viewed as an expense rather than a tool. Two case studies were performed; these highlight the value of project management. Initially poor project management leads to successful although late projects; with an improvement of the project breakdown structure and improved project management skills the second case study had some very surprising results. Finally the conclusion highlights that project management has very positive impacts on even the smallest of projects. Unfortunately there are no shortcuts when it comes to project management and what you put in is what you can expect to get out.
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Managerial aspects for the engineering entrepreneur

  • Authors: Khota, Irfaan Abubakr
  • Date: 2012-08-13
  • Subjects: Entrepreneurship , Engineering - Management
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:9096 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5555
  • Description: M.Ing. , This dissertation aims to identify the skills, characteristics and management principles necessary for engineers who are involved in entrepreneurial activity. The dissertation covers the fundamental concepts influencing engineering managers; the marketing skills and processes which serve as a basis for successful entrepreneurship; training and development of entrepreneurial engineers; the engineer's function within the entrepreneurial environment; consulting engineering as a facet of entrepreneurship; business planning and financial controls, and finally a case study to correlate theory and practice and to provide a reference for future study. The primary objectives of the research are: to assess the realm of entrepreneurship; to determine what the engineering management principles required are in order to become a successful entrepreneur; to discuss the engineering process from an entrepreneurial perspective; to assess the engineering population in order to determine the potential for entrepreneurship and to formulate a proposal for successful entrepreneurial engineering. This study aims to serve as a reference for engineers who may decide to enter into an entrepreneurial at some point in their career.
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The management of a research and development organisation with a view to corporatisation

  • Authors: Du Plessis, Pieter
  • Date: 2012-08-20
  • Subjects: Engineering - Management , Organizational change , Privatization
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/382187 , uj:2748 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/6188
  • Description: M.Phil. , Within the South African context a government of national unity has been elected. Before and after the election, mention was made of the corporatisation and/or the privatisation of state owned assets and parastatals such as Eskom, Telkom and Spoomet. The corporatisation and/or privatisation of these state assets would result in an increase in funds for the government to spend on the Reconstruction and Development Programme, as well as lead to the increase in efficiency of some of these state owned assets. Every day more comment is being made on the possibility of Eskom corporatising. This research proposed to study certain current management philosophies and methodologies being used within Eskom's Technology, Research and Investigations (T-R-I) with a view to corporatisation. This was done by comparing current management practices found in T-R-I, to both literature and prominent engineering companies in South Africa. Topics included the concept of engineering management, marketing, organisational structures, project management and change management. A literature review on strategic planning was also performed and this lay the foundation for personalised interviews with managers in prominent South African engineering companies. The interviews were conducted by means of a structured questionnaire and a statistical analysis, and comparisons of the various methodologies in terms of strategic planning within these engineering companies, were subsequently performed. A visit was also undertaken to Australian utilities which have already been through the corporatisation process. Here, first hand knowledge of the various experiences of corporatisation was obtained. T-R-I is a multi-disciplinary engineering consulting organisation which undertakes investigations, studies, applied research and testing for Eskom and other companies. It employs 308 technical people in modem laboratories. T-R-I operates in an engineering environment and following from the literature search, it is believed that T-R-I should apply the principles of engineering management. A comprehensive overview of marketing and all the aspects associated therewith was performed. It is recommended that T-R-I develop a marketing intelligence system and one comprehensive marketing plan. T-R-I also needs to develop a decision support system that will assist in making better analyses and decisions as far as product development and entry into the market is concerned. Competitors also need to be studied in more detail. Three organisational designs were investigated, i.e. the functional organisation, the product organisation and the matrix organisation. Since all of T-R-I's work is based on projects, it is recommended that T-R-I follow a matrix type structure for the effective execution of its projects. Six key activities for successful change implementation were highlighted in this study. Strategic planning was analysed by means of what literature promotes as an effective business plan. The purpose of the vision, mission, philosophy, environmental analysis and goals was discussed and comparisons were made between the literature studies and T-R-I's business plan. A structured questionnaire was developed in order to facilitate interviews with managers of five prominent South African engineering companies. A detailed statistical analysis of the resultant discussions is presented in the thesis. The questionnaire extracted information on organisational nature, organisational principles of operation, people development, management aspects and strategic planning. By comparing T-R-I's current methodology and detailed contents of the business plan to these five engineering companies, it was found that T-R-I acknowledged and responded to all of the main issues and methodologies. The Australian electricity industry has already been corporatised. A visit to five utilities in Australia was undertaken to discuss how corporatisation has affected them. What was very clear in the discussions, was that T-R-I will not survive as an "Eskom only" service provider but that it needs to expand its market. T-R-I cannot take it for granted that it has a captive market in Eskom. All of the Australian utilities visited, however, indicated that they believed that corporatisation was well worth it. It is, however, recommended that comparative studies be performed in order to evaluate what companies did to transform from parastatals or military supporting companies to successful companies in the private sector (eg. Denel, Sentech and the Atomic Energy Corporation). In-depth studies focusing on these organisations will add to the identification of those inefficiencies within T-R-I that would enhance its capabilities, should they be positively addressed, in order to sustain itself in the future and be a successfully corporatised entity.
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Reliability growth management of complex electromechanical systems

  • Authors: Rooney, Alexander Charles
  • Date: 2012-09-04
  • Subjects: Reliability (Engineering) , Engineering - Management , Electromechanical devices - Testing
  • Type: Mini-Dissertation
  • Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/369213 , uj:3499 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/6889
  • Description: M.Ing. , This dissertation proposes a reliability management process for the development of complex electromechanical systems. Specific emphasis is the development of these systems in an environment of limited development resources, and where small production quantities are envisaged. The results of this research will provide a management strategy for reliability engineering activities, within a systems engineering environment, where concurrent engineering techniques are used to reduce development cycles and costs. In order to implement a successful reliability engineering and growth management process, the following objectives need to be met: To ensure that reliability is designed into the system under development by providing reliability design data to the system engineering and development teams. To optimise reliability testing resource expenditure by managing the reliability growth process through a design problem monitoring and solution management process. To ensure that system life-cycle costs are optimised through good reliability design choices. To provide an environment where reliability engineering is a integral part of the system engineering process so as to optimise the rapid development process while keeping development expenditure within acceptable limits.
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Evaluation of decision methods for research and development projects

  • Authors: Tras, Ahmet Mete
  • Date: 2012-09-11
  • Subjects: Engineering firms , Competition , Engineering - Management
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:10035 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7424
  • Description: M.Ing. , This study proposed to evaluate decision methods for R&D projects to assist managers to choose the appropriate type of model for their organization. In order to enhance the understanding of selection of R&D projects, general characteristics of project selection models have been explained with their advantages and disadvantages. For this purpose, model groups, criteria for models and usage of models have been addressed in detail. For better understanding of project selection models, the general characteristics of R&D projects, which are uncertainty, sequentiality and project interactions have been explained. It has been found by literature survey that the most used models are scoring models, economic models and optimization models. Among these models scoring models have more advantages than the others. However, there is not a perfect model for all types of projects and organizations. The criteria for selection of projects and models have been introduced. It has been found that criteria for selection of projects differ according to the type of projects under consideration, to the managers' view of project selection and to the size of the organizations. Research projects are often selected by using scoring models, which allow subjective estimation. On the other hand development or new product projects are selected mostly by using economic models. It has also been found that realism, flexibility, cost, ease of use, and capability were the most accepted criteria for selection of models. In order to make the discussed subjects clearer the project selection practice of Premet R&D has been explained in a step by step fashion. The model used by Premet R&D in the project selection process has also been addressed. Premet R&D's model has been compared with other models and weighted factor scoring model, which is a better version of their model, has been recommended for Premet R&D.
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A socio-technical view of the requirements engineering process

  • Authors: Marnewick, Annlizé
  • Date: 2013-12-09
  • Subjects: Business requirements analysis , Engineering - Management , Business planning , Business analysts
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:7858 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8751
  • Description: D.Ing. (Engineering Management) , The requirements discipline is at the heart of systems engineering, software engineering and business analysis. When a solution needs to be developed, built or bought that will be useful to the users and that will achieve the intended business goals, the problem needs to be understood before a possible solution can be developed. This process of understanding the problem that needs to be solved and what the solution should achieve is referred to as the requirements process. Requirements are the input to the solution development process. If the requirements are incorrect, the developed solution will not be useful. The purpose of this study was to discover the social behaviour of practitioners that causes the communication breakdowns during the requirements engineering process. Requirements emerge from the social interaction and communication between the requirements practitioner and the various stakeholders. The main problems with the requirements engineering process are communication and coordination breakdowns, as well as the lack of domain knowledge or understanding of the problem. These challenges are all related to the social interaction during the requirements engineering process that impacts the quality of requirements. Researchers have made significant progress in the development of methodologies. Tools and techniques are available for improving the quality of requirements. However, in practice, requirements are still produced with errors which then leads to unsuccessful solutions to problems. The requirements engineering process is executed within a social context. These social elements should be taken into consideration to improve quality. Based on the results collected from real-world practice as well as people’s behaviour in the real world, a complete understanding of the influence on the requirements process was derived. This understanding was used to identify the social elements required during the requirements engineering process. A socio-technical view is provided of the social and the technical activities that should be facilitated by the requirements engineering process. This framework integrates the required communicative activities with the traditional requirements activity. This socio-technical framework for the requirements engineering process was developed based on a survey. The aim of this framework is to overcome the social behaviour that causes communication breakdowns and impacts on the quality of the requirements. The research contributes to the existing requirements knowledge base. The socio-technical framework developed for the requirements process concerns the communication breakdowns continuously highlighted as a contributing factor to poor requirements, by providing the social activities required during the requirements process as guidance. Secondly, the knowledge acquired provides adequate data on requirements practice for future research. Specific focus areas for practitioners and managers on how to improve the requirements engineering process without the adoption of any new tools or methodologies are also included in the results. Additionally, practitioners’ behaviour was determined. By determining these interaction and relationship patterns, communication can be improved and made more effective.
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A methodology for benchmarking in an engineering business environment

  • Authors: Lindemann, Werner Philip
  • Date: 2014-02-12
  • Subjects: Engineering - Management , Benchmarking (Management)
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:3922 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/9285
  • Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , Most new generation organisations have management models and organisational performance measurement systems in place. All these new kinds of models and systems will not be enough in the race for survival. Organisations needs a clear point of view of where they are going -a vision about tomorrow and what they should do to overcome the gap, from their current situation in order to get there successfully. It is also important for organisations to have a solid foundation to base such a visioning process on. Reengineering, continuous renewal, total quality management, lean production, downsizing - these all have proven vital to survival. But getting better at what we do is just about keeping ourselves in the race - it's not about winning the race. To win, we will have to know what the strategic intent and business priorities of the competition are (where are they going), in order to make sure we get there first. Charles Handy said about the winners of the race, "... it will be those who invent the world, not those who respond to it." Benchmarking is a means to ensure the above, where one basically have to say, "Let's look honestly at ourselves and determine what we do well and what we do badly. And where we do things badly, let's figure out what the world standards are, and then find some way to commit ourselves to reaching those standards." The purpose of this study was therefore to ensure a means for an organisation to get ahead in the race. It is important to note that performance measurement plays an integral role in management and benchmarking, because no process or action can be managed if it can be measured. Organisations are also not solely based on actual detail processes. There are other more strategic as well as "softer" issues of an organisation that will become much more important in the future, than concrete processes. These factors are the visioning processes within an organisation and their impact on change, as well as the creation and mobilisation of certain knowledge for certain purposes. The end-result of the study was therefore a scientific analysis of an engineering business environment, in order to create a means/methodology to do benchmarking, whilst ensuring a balance between the strategic, operational and knowledge aspects.
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Sensitiwiteit van rentabiliteit van ingenieursprojekte

  • Authors: Cheney, Peter Vincent
  • Date: 2014-04-03
  • Subjects: Civil engineering - Estimates , Engineering - Management , Construction industry - Cost control , Building - Estimates
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:4641 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/9982
  • Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , Capital intensive engineering projects involve the flow of large sums of money over the project life. During the pretender phase of the project, estimates of the forecast cash flow and associate return on investment are made based on certain assumptions which at the time are, at best, only informed guesses. As the project progresses, the uncertainty surrounding the magnitude and the timing of these cash flows and rate of return, diminishes. By recognising the time value of money and the importance of the synthesis of time and cash flow as well as the interdependence of project activities, it is desirable to obtain an estimate of the PROBABLE outcome of the return on investment~ should the bid be accepted. This outcome can only be 'guessed' at by means of a probabilistic analysis of the parameters that go to make up the nett cash flow. This study is an attempt to find a model suitable for use in the construction industry which accurately describes the construction process, and presents an overall analysis of the variation in the rate of return as a result of the probabilistic nature of the original parameters. Various models were investigated. All were found suitable under limited conditions.
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A systematic approach towards the implementation of an effective management model for gland service

  • Authors: Robinson, Gavin Stuart
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Engineering - Management , Engineering systems , Tailings dams
  • Language: English
  • Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/225150 , uj:22733
  • Description: Abstract: This dissertation develops and evaluates a model for the effective management of a typical gland service system, utilising engineering management technology, for a wide variety of mining applications to innovatively create a method for the correct implementation and maintenance of a gland service system. A Systematic Engineering approach will organise segmented processes that will focus the design of an Effective Management Model (EMM) for a Gland Service System (GSS). The approach will focus on the optimisation of the GSS which is a fundamental pillar for the functionality of the slurry pumps in a tailings plant. A Production Performance Model (PPM) will be created utilising the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) Theory to provide an indication of the production capacity of a tailings plant. The subsystem of the PPM will be the EMM; its core focus is on the optimisation of the Gland Service System, which in turn directly relates the improved performance of the tailings plant which ultimately results in the improved capability of the mines production process. Today’s competitive environment compels businesses to find ways and means to effectively conduct projects in order to satisfy the ever increasing expectations of clients. Cohesion with Systematic Engineering Approach and Engineering Management theory, while including some mechanical engineering concepts such as manufacturing enhancements and performance optimisation, have been applied in the operational structure of a typical gland service system. The unique case study presented provides an opportunity to practically apply these various management techniques, while referring to mechanical engineering practises, in a mining environment to provide an effective management model for the optimum operation of a Gland Service System. Mines located in various locations within South Africa were utilised in the case study. Simulink has been applied to model and simulate the environment where these engineering management techniques have been applied. Theories such as OEE were used to create the foundation of the model for the PPM. The subsystem of the PPM is the EMM and Simulink was used to incorporate the optimisation inputs, thus forming a model from Qualitative and Quantitative feedback, using triangulation of the two data sampling systems. The combination of non-probability sampling, and purpose sampling systems formed the basis of the triangulation system. Together with practical experimentation findings and the participants’ feedback, the EMM basis was constructed. , D.Ing. (Engineering Management)
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Game theoretic modeling of litigation in engineering projects

Towards developing an engineering management approach to resolving developmental issues faced by graduate engineers

  • Authors: Mohlamme, Sabata
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Engineering - Management , Engineers - Employment - South Africa , Engineers - Training of - South Africa , Industrial organization , Universities and colleges - Graduate work - South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/56946 , uj:16360
  • Description: Abstract: New engineering recruits are often subject to anxiety and uncertainty regarding their roles, tasks and career prospects in industrial organisations. As a developing country, South Africa relies heavily on advances in technology for future economic growth and industrial development. Experienced engineers applying reliable engineering practices and processes in the various sectors of industry are necessary to bring about innovative developments. The purpose of this research is to determine whether graduate engineers are currently receiving appropriate and sufficient training to enable them to participate fully in the country’s economic growth and development and apply the technological improvements to be globally competitive. Early job experiences and mentorships have been shown to significantly influence the long-term performance of engineers; consequently, the research will also addresses the extent of involvement in and intervention by engineering managers and mentors to ensure sufficient training and skills transfer for professional engineers. The research will also examine the gap that exists between engineering managers and graduate engineers. This will be done by investigating the relationship between the graduate engineers and their mentors and/or engineering managers. Based on the outcomes of the survey data, the root course of the existing gap will be investigated and suggestions will be made on how best to close the gap that seems to exist. , M.Ing. (Engineering Management)
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Leading key performance indicator development requirement for a steel manufacturing organisation

  • Authors: Khumalo, Zipho Blessed
  • Date: 2015-06-25
  • Subjects: Steel industry and trade - Safety measures , Engineering - Management , Performance standards
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:13621 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13802
  • Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , The steel industry is considered a very harsh working environment that has been seen to be a major contributor to the occupational health and safety incidents occurring in the manufacturing sector. Due to the nature of the steel making process, the steel industry remains dangerous to employees. Leading key performance indicators of safety are a control mechanism that can be used in contributing to the improvement of safety performance. The aim of the research conducted was to determine if leading key performance indicators of safety are being utilised in organisations in the steel industry, to determine the KPI in use was informative of the root cause of the safety incident and to identify the initial KPI development requirements in a steel manufacturing organisation in South Africa. A literature review centred on leading key performance indicators of safety was conducted to establish the meaning of KPI and their application in other similar industries. A benchmark for the research was established from the literature review. The research was influenced by the methods that were applied by Grabowski, Ayalasomayajula, Wang, Merrick, Mc Cafferty, Meador & Kinney, 2007, that were successfully used in the derivation of leading KPI in the shipping industry. The research done by Toellner, 2001 on leading indicators of safety was also influential in conducting this study. The data was obtained through random sampling in a population of production staff, engineering, personnel, specialists and managerial staff, whose experience in the industry ranged from two years to forty years. The questionnaire was randomly distributed to a population consisting of fourteen supervisors, twelve engineering staff, eighty-six production personnel, twenty-one specialists and six management staff. The respondents’ level of experience in the industry varied from two years to forty years and a combined experience level of one-hundred and thirty-five years. It was found that the key performance indicators of safety that were being utilised have not evolved significantly over the past fifteen years and they do not provide insight to the root cause of the accident. This research provides the strategic requirements needing for developing leading key performance indicators of safety in a steel manufacturing organisation.
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An engineering management analysis of communication management systems in an organization that supplies the mining industry

  • Authors: Meid, Andreas
  • Date: 2015-06-26
  • Subjects: Engineering - Management , Communication in organizations , Mineral industries - Equipment and supplies , Project management
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/381983 , uj:13622 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13803
  • Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , Broadly speaking, communication forms an integral component of everyone’s daily activities, be it on a personal level amongst family and friends, or in a professional environment. In many instances, the ability of project teams to communicate effectively and efficiently is taken for granted by project managers, which can result in projects being late or incomplete. However, the importance of Project Communications Management is evident in the fact that the Project Management Institute (PMI) dedicates a chapter to Project Communications Management in the PMBOK® Guide. The current research seeks to understand what effect communication has on a project, and how it can be successfully managed during a project. The research in the form of a case study investigated the state of communications within a project department, with the aim of identifying whether a lack of communication during a project is a contributing factor to projects being late or incorrect. The department in question is responsible for supplying the mining industry with critical conveyor drive equipment. The case study research was conducted utilizing the procedure outlined in the Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3®). The research found that certain areas in the department lacked the basic requirements for effective communications, and that a lack of communication between various stakeholders during a project could negatively influence the success of a project. These findings were compared to those of independent research by the PMI into global trends of project communications. The important aspects relating to Project Communication Management were discussed, and a workable solution to the problem was proposed. It was found that by implementing a communication plan in the department, and encouraging a culture of open and honest communications, the organization can expect to see an improvement in project success.
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The analysis of the application and implementation of public private partnerships (PPP) projects in South Africa

An optimised portfolio management model, incorporating best practices

  • Authors: Naidoo, Yogan
  • Date: 2015-06-29
  • Subjects: Organizational effectiveness , Portfolio management , Strategic planning , Rate of return , Engineering - Management
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:13646 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13830
  • Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , Driving sustainability, optimising return on investments and cultivating a competitive market advantage, are imperative for organisational success and growth. In order to achieve the business objectives and value proposition, effective management strategies must be efficiently implemented, monitored and controlled. Failure to do so ultimately result in; financial loss due to increased capital and operational expenditure, schedule slippages, substandard delivery on quality and depreciation of market share. This research paper investigates and discusses management strategies with the focus on integration of effective portfolio management, efficient system development life cycles and optimal project control to ultimately drive organisational sustainability and growth. With the aid of this research, optimal decisions on project/organisational venture selection can be made. Furthermore, integrating portfolio management strategies with system development life cycles and optimal project control strategies, will optimise an organisational portfolio and enhance the probability of project and organisational success.
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Predictive maintenance as a means to increase the availability of a positive displacement pump

The impact of cultural differences on construction project performance

  • Authors: Maphosa, Samantha Glenda
  • Date: 2015-06-29
  • Subjects: Project management - South Africa , Construction industry - South Africa - Management , Diversity in the workplace - South Africa , Organizational effectiveness , Performance - Management , Engineering - Management
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:13643 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13827
  • Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , Construction project success is the number one goal for every client, stakeholders and for project team members who are involved with construction projects. However, construction projects often exceed the stipulated budget, are completed beyond the scheduled period and are not even to the required quality. Despite its poor record, the construction industry contributes a lot to the country’s economy and as such, it should be ensured that it performs better than it has currently. Besides the technical issues/factors which are a norm for influencing construction project performance, recent studies have shown that other factors relating to people and how they interact in teams may in fact have a significant influence on project performance. Consequently, culture and cultural differences seem to be one of the important issues that need to be dealt with and managed properly if projects are to be successful; given the nature of contracting, where joint ventures and partnerships seem to be prevalent (Kivrak et.al, 2009). Therefore, the purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of cultural differences on construction project performance. Because culture is seen as a ‘soft’ issue, it makes it hard to be measured empirically (Ankrah, 2007), and therefore requires to be assessed through the perceptions of the individuals who operate within that particular culture (Palmer, Cooper and Burns, 2010). Five dimensions of culture, namely: age, gender, race/ethnicity, educational background and organisational culture background were investigated and chosen to be measured against the three traditional project outcomes, namely: time, cost and quality, while taking into account safety and productivity. A questionnaire was issued to 310 participants drawn from construction projects across South Africa, and 109 responses were received, giving a response rate of 35.16%. The study reviewed that the construction industry’s performance is poor and it can also be attributed to differences in individuals’ cultural background because culture affects one’s mind in terms of behaviour and decision making. Findings from the study showed that a relationship existed between culture and project performance, and that cultural differences had an impact on construction project performance.
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A comparison of financial evaluation methods used in projects

The impact of auditing and project management misalignment on infrastructure development in South Africa

  • Authors: Moagi, Phetole F.
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Financial engineering , Engineering - Management , Project finance - Management , Infrastructure (Economics) - Management
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/242859 , uj:25062
  • Description: Abstract: The misalignment between financial and performance auditing in delivering engineering projects (infrastructure), increases and perpetuates unethical behaviour. It further increases lack of transparency, unaccountability, and no respect to the rule of law, unregulated interventions, weak quality controls, and the manipulation of Municipal Financial Management Act (MFMA), weak legal processes and more. The auditing control systems were established to ensure accountability for public use of public funds, compliance, safeguarding public resources against corruption, wasteful expenditure and unauthorised practice. Organisations are solely using this (auditing) to determine their performance and check if internal processes are adhered to/followed (ticking boxes). Organisations receive a clean audit and become insolvent shortly after that or they ask for government bailouts. The recent auditing profession, processional conduct, ethical behaviour, report and relevance leave a lot to be desired. Underperforming State Owned Enterprises (SOEs), infrastructure developments or construction projects, ghost projects, fabricated progress on capital expenditure projects and abandoned engineering projects receive preeminent appraisals [19] [20] [28] [49]. The current auditing controls are failing dismally to detect these [28] [49]. This research focus on engineering projects at the public sector (national, provincial and local level in South Africa). The library information from the Association of Municipality Electricity Utilities (AMEU), South African Revenue Protection Association (SARPA), Good Governance Africa (GGA), South African CitiesNetwork (SAcN) and Metropolitan Municipality (metros) websites were used as data collection sources. Focus group discussions, observations, national and regional meetings were used as a mechanism to ascertain data. Visible service delivery projects were selected and analysed to validate the results. The process was a multiple stage process. Different Metros and project categories were used. The results show it is imperative for all stakeholders to align all internal and external control systems, delivery of engineering projects strategies, monitoring and evaluation, auditing (forensic, financial, performance), organisational performance and more. The introduction of grassroots Board of Professionals (BoP), offers Citizen Based Performance Management Structures (CBPMS) and government effective and efficient ways of delivering engineering projects with the involvement of citizens. , M.Phil. (Engineering Management)
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